First Ball Python Need A Little Help

[carl682]

Hello i recently got a ball python from my neighbor that was totally abused the snake was kept in a very small fish tank like a starter fish tank no substrate no hide no heat but an overhead house lamp. The snake was only fed 2 adult mice per month and has only ever eaten live food i am not sure on its age between 3 and 4 but its about 3.5 feet long. he/she was super aggressive when i first got him/her and would strike at anything that went near the tank I have had him/her for about a month now and has calmed down quite a bit i am trying not to handle him/her to much but he/she no longer strikes or hisses at me when i am around the tank.

1 of the ?'s i have is the snake eating enough i have been feeding him 4 live adult mice per week is that enough for him/her the first 2 feeds i did were live mice but the third feed was a fresh kill given on tongs and seemed to work ok my plan is to eventually get the snake eating f/t rats since the province i live in in Canada its illegal to have live rats so fresh kill feeding is out of the ? the snake isnt very thick and not sure of its weight a scale is on my to do list but is the 4 adult mice per week enough?

The snake is currently housed in a 36x18x36 Exo terra terrarium with low dust aspen snake bedding an under tank heater that cover 1/3 of bottom temp and humidity aren't an issue and 1 hide there were 2 hides in the beginning but the snake had no interest in the hide on the cool side of the tank and prefers to stretch out on the plants on the cool side so i removed second hide and added more plants to cool side and he/she seems to love it

I am including a few pics of the snake and the setup any tips on the feeding or anything else in general would be greatly appreciated I have pretty much read through the entire forum and soaked in as much as i could on ball pythons but my thinking is u can never have to much info :)

[Lankyrob]

You need another hide so that one is "warm" and one is "cold". What temps and humidity are you keeping it in? The tank looks very dry to me.

If you can i would switch him onto frozen rats as mice arent really big enough a meal.

[Starbuck]

I second Lankyrob, no sense waiting, switch the snake to rats immediately. small or medium rats should be fine, you want something a bit bigger than the snake at its widest point (100-150% its girth).
I would also try to get some more cover in the tank, you could use an opaque tupperware or a shoebox, something dark and tight the snake can get into to feel secure.

additionally, some more info about how you are measuring temperatures and humidity would be helpful.

[Chris72]

What town by-law in your city has made live rats illegal? (I fear you are mistaken)

Adult mice are around 30g (give or take) and you mentioned he had two per month.

You should be giving him around a 60g to 80g rat every week. (Based on the pic)

( I bet that snake would put away a 150g medium is short order....prob very hungry )

Best rule of thumb is a rodent about the size of the thickest part of his body once every 7 to 10 days.


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[Aaron_S]

What town by-law in your city has made live rats illegal? (I fear you are mistaken)

Adult mice are around 30g (give or take) and you mentioned he had two per month.

You should be giving him around a 60g to 80g rat every week. (Based on the pic)

( I bet that snake would put away a 150g medium is short order....prob very hungry )

Best rule of thumb is a rodent about the size of the thickest part of his body once every 7 to 10 days.


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He's not mistaken if he's in Alberta. Live rats aren't allowed in the Province I believe.

[carl682]

Yup i live in Alberta where live rats are illegal for temp and humidity taking i am using Springfield Digital Suction Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer with Suction it does both temp and humidity i cant add link because i am a new poster in forums temp is about 76 on cool side and 82-83 on warm side and the snake was only fed 2 adult mice by previous owner i have been giving him 4 adults mice per week my humity is a little low as guessed whats a good way to raise it a fogger maybe ? i will also add the hide on on the cool side

[nyx]

Yup i live in Alberta where live rats are illegal for temp and humidity taking i am using Springfield Digital Suction Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer with Suction it does both temp and humidity i cant add link because i am a new poster in forums temp is about 76 on cool side and 82-83 on warm side and the snake was only fed 2 adult mice by previous owner i have been giving him 4 adults mice per week my humity is a little low as guessed whats a good way to raise it a fogger maybe ? i will also add the hide on on the cool side

Feed it dead rats. Entirely legal. Or buy African soft-furred rats, which are not Norway rats and also legal. Your temperatures are too cool. Raise them. Add a humid hide with moist sphagnum moss.

[carl682]

sweet thanks for tips can i use the new hide i am putting on in the cool side for the humi hide? and heading out now to get him some frozen rats its feeding day so i guess we will see if he goes for it

[Lankyrob]

Yup i live in Alberta where live rats are illegal for temp and humidity taking i am using Springfield Digital Suction Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer with Suction it does both temp and humidity i cant add link because i am a new poster in forums temp is about 76 on cool side and 82-83 on warm side and the snake was only fed 2 adult mice by previous owner i have been giving him 4 adults mice per week my humity is a little low as guessed whats a good way to raise it a fogger maybe ? i will also add the hide on on the cool side

His temps need to be 91-95 hot side and no lower than 78 cool side. For humidity when i had my ball python i used a proper viarium with solid roof and then reptibark for substrate as it holds moisture better than aspen. Humidity shouldnt ever drop below 55 and 65 when in blue.

[Chris72]

He's not mistaken if he's in Alberta. Live rats aren't allowed in the Province I believe.


I stand corrected. (Rats...illegal.....?....huh...)

Try the route of thawed rats first. It might take some time and you might need to be tricky about it. (Scenting, etc)

You could of course go with ASF as noted by Nyx but keep in mind that Natals are like crake for BPs and after some time on Natals he might not take anything else.

You could end up stuck for supply.

Nothing beats the convieniance of frozen dinner! :)

[carl682]

Hello all i have done some changes to my tank since my first post i finally got my rheostat from ebay and decided to go with 2 in tank thermometers and i think i figured out why my snake has been going crazy in the tank with out the rheostat the UTH i have was putting out at 120 F now i have my tank steady at 90 F on hot side and 78 F on cool side my humidity is sitting a little low still at 52% but i am getting a plexiglass lid made to replace the screen one next weekend when i get paid that should help with the humidity i also blacked out the 2 sides and back of tank so he also feels more secure

[carl682]

Update after re-reading this thread i have also done what Lankyrob suggested and raised my temps to 92.6 F on hot side and 79 F on cool side although i dont think this ball has any idea it is a ball python as i said before the previous owner had no hide for the snake for 3.5 years so it never uses the ones i have gave it i have tried rock looking ones no luck and was suggested to try opaque one which i am doing now if that doesnt work black plastic next the snake much prefers to stretch out i have also never seen it curl up into a ball weird snake

[Lankyrob]

The only trouble witha rheostat is that YOU have to adjust it. So if you go outvfor the day amd the ambient temps spike your snake could cook. Ths is why we always recommend a thermostat that will balance out any temp changes for you.

[Chris72]

The only trouble witha rheostat is that YOU have to adjust it. So if you go outvfor the day amd the ambient temps spike your snake could cook. Ths is why we always recommend a thermostat that will balance out any temp changes for you.

^^ not to be understated....

Also, I wonder where in the tank are you monitoring humidity? Should be near the bedding. Considering how tall it is I'm impressed if you are getting that thing to stick around 52%.

[carl682]

ok then on payday besides the plexiglass lid i will try and find a thermostat and i have a humidity gauge about 4 to 6 inches off the bedding

[Lankyrob]

ok then on payday besides the plexiglass lid i will try and find a thermostat and i have a humidity gauge about 4 to 6 inches off the bedding

The guage needs to measure humidity where the snake is not six inches in the air. Your tank looks very dry, when i spray mine they have condensation on the glass for four or five days..........